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School Improvement Fellows and the Principalship
Meet two of our School Improvement Fellows (SIFs)
who aspire to become educational leaders: not only are they making
an impact in our schools today, their focus and insight reveal
a deep commitment to achieving systemic change for many years
to come.
Alexandrea Creer has always wanted to be
an educational leader. As a student attending a low-income, low-performing
school in the West Contra Costa School District, she not only
experienced educational inequities first hand, she spoke up against
injustices and advocated for a system that focused on impacting
student learning first and foremost.
After graduating from UC Berkeley, Alex joined PartnersSI
as an AmeriCorps member and quickly demonstrated her value working
with teachers. Now as a School Improvement Fellow, she continues
to develop her coaching techniques and instructional knowledge.
"Every teacher should be able to observe other teachers the way
I can," she says. "I've been able to develop my inquiry mindset
and help teachers focus deeply on improving student learning."
Next on her career path is becoming a principal.
She sees the public school principal—specifically in a low-income
school with high populations of students of color—as the impetus
for change. The principal sets the vision for the school, shapes
school culture and fosters a community of teachers who learn and
develop as professionals to improve student learning. The principal
also creates the space for students to learn and grow. Alex deeply
believes in the responsibility of public schools to provide for
its students, to meet their academic, affective and emotional
needs. "It's where they learn how to engage in a world beyond
the one they came from, where they are exposed to new opportunities."
Although it would be too easy to attribute Alex's
passion for change to her own experience as a student, nonetheless
she is deeply, almost innately, empathetic and focused on her
students. "It's all about student achievement. I see everything
through this lens."
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"School change begins with the leaders," says Leroy
Gaines, and this belief has shaped his career path in education.
Like many young aspiring educational leaders fresh out of college,
Leroy joined Teach for America and taught for four years in the
Alum Rock School District in San Jose. He then earned his Master's
in Education Leadership at Teacher's College at Columbia University,
where he was surrounded by smart visionaries and saw examples
of successful principals.
Now Leroy has joined PartnersSI as a School Improvement
Fellow, where he continues to build his skills to become a high
impact educational leader. He is gaining hands-on experience working
with teachers in a variety of classroom settings. He is building
strong instructional leadership—knowing what a best practice is
and what that looks like in the classroom. And he is learning
how to coach teachers at various levels of experience to grow
and develop as professionals.
"I am deepening my knowledge and confidence to be
an educational leader for change," he says.
He especially appreciates what he is learning about
building teamwork and collaboration among teachers. In his old
school, many teachers left after a few years. As a third-year
teacher, he was already one of the veterans in the school. Leroy
aspires to become the kind of principal who works with teachers
to help them match their vision and goals to their reality. Like
any professional, teachers need to feel that they are learning
and growing, and be supported by leaders who share their vision
and commitment to continuous improvement. "It is important to
build a school culture where teachers are satisfied in their jobs,
so they can be excellent teachers for their students."
Articles in this issue (Dec 2006):
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